Image forming process using wet developing method

Abstract

An image forming process wherein a latent image-bearing surface of a supporting member is contacted with a toner-containing liquid developer to develop the latent image with the liquid developer and to form a toner image covered with a layer of the liquid developer. The toner image-bearing surface is treated with a squeezing member to squeeze the liquid developer layer therefrom. The toner image-bearing surface is then treated with a voltage impressing member to impart a bias voltage to the toner image. The toner image is transferred from the surface to an intermediate transfer medium and then to a transfer medium.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. An image forming process, comprising: 
       (a) contacting a latent image-bearing surface of a supporting member with a toner-containing liquid developer to develop said latent image with said liquid developer and to form a toner image covered with a layer of said liquid developer;  
       (b) treating a toner image-bearing surface with a squeezing member to squeeze said liquid developer layer therefrom; then  
       (c) treating said toner image-bearing surface with a voltage impressing member to impart a bias voltage to said toner image; then  
       (d) transferring said toner image from said surface to an intermediate transfer medium; and then  
       (e) transferring said transfer toner image from said intermediate transfer medium to a transfer medium.  
     
     
       2. The process as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said squeezing member is a squeezing roller rotating in one direction and wherein said voltage impressing member is a voltage impressing roller rotating in a direction opposite said one direction. 
     
     
       3. The process as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein said voltage impressing roller is spaced apart from said toner image-bearing surface to define a gap therebetween. 
     
     
       4. The process as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein said gap is greater than a space between said toner image-bearing surface and said squeezing roller. 
     
     
       5. The process as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said intermediate transfer medium has a surface with a contact angle with water of 3° to 180°. 
     
     
       6. The process as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein step (c) comprises impressing to said toner image-bearing surface a voltage of a polarity opposite the polarity of said toner image to permit a discharge current of 1-100 μA to flow between said voltage impressing member and said toner image-bearing surface. 
     
     
       7. The process as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein step (d) is by pressure, heat, electrostatic force or a combination thereof. 
     
     
       8. The process as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein step (e) is by pressure, heat, electrostatic force or a combination thereof. 
     
     
       9. The process as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said toner contains a coloring agent selected from the group consisting of disazo yellow pigments as a yellow coloring agent, carmine and quinacridone pigments as a magenta coloring agent, phthalocyanine pigments as a cyan coloring agent, and carbon black as a black coloring agent. 
     
     
       10. The process as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein said toner contains a resin selected from the group consisting of acrylic resins, rosin-modified resins, silicone resins, polyolefin resins and polyurethane resins.